Is Jordan Safe? Reflections on our visit with Kids

Is Jordan Safe? What we Found When we traveled to the Middle East with our Kids

Before you even start reading about our experience in Jordan, let me preface it by saying that EVERYTHING I thought I knew about the small, Middle Eastern country, of Jordan was WRONG! As you read on, I hope that I can show you, through my initial apprehension and experiences before even arriving in Jordan and our short time there, that this country SHOULD be on your list to visit, whether you are an adventure traveller, a backpacker, or a family traveller like me! Is Jordan Safe? Absolutely!

A Leap of Faith: We are going to Jordan with Kids!

I was given 7 days notice that I had won a trip to Jordan to attend the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Only 48 hours before departure, did we receive our itinerary and confirmed plane tickets. Between juggling work, trying to pack for myself and two boys for a Muslim country I knew nothing about, listening to everyone’s concerns about visiting the Middle East, trying to figure out what I was getting myself into by going to Jordan with a 5 and 3 year old (you can read my post Holy S#!T We are going to Jordan) it was a busy and exciting few days to say the least.

Karak Castle, One of the many sites we had to ourselves in Jordan

But at 4pm on a Wednesday afternoon in September 2016 , we were eagerly sitting at our gate at Vancouver International Airport. Along with my mum, Mattias and Markus, we boarded our first leg to London’s Heathrow Airport! At this point I was not sure if I would survive the flight. 9 hours to London, 3 hours in London’s giant Heathrow airport in the middle of the night Vancouver time, and then 5 hours from London to Amman, finally reaching Jordan’s capital city at about 11pm local time (which was lunchtime Vancouver time). Jet lag is not a HUGE concern for me with the kids, but it is still a pain in the butt! My plan was to keep them up on the first leg as long as possible, then let them sleep on the second leg, and then try and get them back to sleep once we got in the Hotel in Amman.

Riding Camels into the Sunset in Wadi Rum

Well, Markus slept about 4 hours on the Vancouver to London leg, it was after all the middle of the night in Vancouver. Mattias stayed up by watching movies, playing Chess and Reversi on the Air Canada Flight’s inflight entertainment, and only fell asleep on descent into Heathrow. Thankfully we had thrown in a small umbrella stroller as we knew we could not carry both kids and carry-ons through Heathrow.

It was a relatively smooth transfer from one terminal to the other. But it does take a LONG time. From Terminal 2 to Terminal 5 it requires a bus transfer and you have to line up and go through security again. So no liquids over 100ml (in case you bought a bottle of water or something else to drink. Also keep this in mind with your duty free). Heathrow did have a great play area for the kids and they played there for about 30 minutes while we waited to board our flight.

Our British Airways flight went smoothly, with both kids sleeping a bit. I think I even nodded off for 30 minutes or so. The only part of the flight that caused us some concern was when we watched the plane trajectory change from its smooth arc, to head south over Israel, we assume to avoid Syrian airspace. My mum and I exchanged glances as we both noticed the change in trajectory. About 5 minutes later, the flight attendant announced that we still had about 45 minutes before we were due to land in Amman’s Queen Alia Airport, but if anyone had to use the washroom they should do it now, as Israeli Airspace regulations required the seat belt signs to be turned on. I looked at my mum, she looked at me, I said to her, “So when they shoot us down, our seat-belts will save us?” A bad joke. I know. But coming from Canada, the only news we get out of the Middle East on mainstream media is that it is a place of chaos, of violence, of refugees.

Walking through Amman

I will tell you now, the last hour on that plane was the ONLY and yes I mean ONLY time, in our 7 days in Jordan that I felt any concern for my or my family’s safety.

Amman from the Citadel

Culture Shock in Jordan?

I have visited the developing world. I am no stranger to culture shock. Whether it be leaving Hong Kong’s western influence and entering China, where the sidewalks are wider than the streets to accommodate the immense numbers of pedestrians, cyclists, animals, motorcyclists or moped drivers. I have walked the streets of Mexico’s Puerto Vallarta, where machine-clad police will stop and attempt to intimidate tourists, well I can only assume that was their intent, my Spanish is limited to “cervasa pour favor.” I have sailed the rivers of Malaysia to visit children who live in huts over the water, who’s infectious smiles and waves and genuine happiness have no idea where Canada is, they have likely never left their local village.

But Jordan did not feel like culture shock. Our tour was put together by Sunny Land Tours, and as promised, were greeted on arrival at the beautiful Queen Alia airport and assisted through customs and the visa process. Honestly we did nothing at all except hand our passports to our tour representative, who took care of everything and gave us a paper visa, saying to keep it safe, we would need it when we left.

The Amman Citadel from the Entrance Amman, Jordan

Our driver was waiting outside to pick us up, the 8 passenger van even had a car seat already installed for Markus. Along with Tara from Nova Scotia (on the East coast of Canada), who had also won the contest, we were driven the 30 or so minute drive to the Landmark Amman Hotel. Arriving after midnight the hotel was BUSY. I was surprised. We were travel weary and ready to climb into bed. But a Thursday night party awaited in the lobby (Jordanians get Fridays and Saturdays off work). Until I was writing this, I forgot that this was the only time in Jordan where we felt a bit unnerved. A party at the hotel which included government dignitaries. “Oh crap,” I thought to myself. “Well I guess this is the hotel I would bomb if I was a suicide-bomber.” Once we had our baggage scanned and passed through the metal detector outside the hotel’s front door, we entered the lobby to find it full of beautifully dressed people. Muslim women adorned in headscarves but also women in short sleeve or sleeveless dresses. I guess Jordan was not as conservative as I thought. But back to the suicide bomber thought, It was completely ridiculous, but since the only news we seem to get out of the Middle East and even other parts of the world, are the violent stories of ISIS attacks and suicide bombers taking innocent lives I could not help but think that way. But no one in the hotel seemed to have the same thought as I did. The hotel staff warmly greeted us with numerous “Welcome to Jordan” comments as we made our way to our room. Guest in the hotel were seen laughing and enjoying their evening. They were not thinking that they could possibly be in an un-safe situation. With our room keys in hand we headed up to bed, wondering what our tour of Amman would have in store for us.

Sunset at the Dead Sea, Jordan

Is Jordan Safe? Everything I Thought I Knew about Jordan, was WRONG!

From Day 1 to Day 7, every need we had was taken care of. We wandered literally empty historic sites, their acres of land, mostly empty for us to explore. Where I expected feral dogs on street corners, we found orange and brown kittens in shops, restaurants and even on the hotel pool decks, some eager for attention, while others afraid of two little boys who wanted nothing more than to pet them.

Exploring Wadi Rum

While driving the streets, where I expected to see homelessness there was none. Admittedly we did not go looking. (I am well aware of the 2 million Syrian refugees currently camped at Jordan’s northern border.) We were there to see the sights, but in many cities around the world, you come across the bad, whether you are looking for it or not. Only twice in the entire week did we come across people begging; once on the street at a traffic light, and once outside a restaurant. It was much different from the scruffy or drug-weary homeless people I encounter on a daily basis in the suburbs in Vancouver. Both of these women we came across were very well dressed and we were told that neither were local to the area. Jordanians do not approve of this type of behaviour, and the young girl who we encountered outside a restaurant, who was likely with her younger siblings (a baby and a small boy), would bring shame to her family’s reputation, if word spread to her hometown that she was begging for money. What put her there, we do not know, but begging was not something we encountered widespread in the country. Since the Jordanians do not support it, if they do not make money, it discourages the behaviour.

Hashem Restaurant

I expected bicycles and mopeds, but the traffic was largely cars, or pedestrians. While the rules of the road looked more like ants marching to their nest to a foreigner like me, I never once saw a fender bender, nor a pedestrian struck. Pedestrians walked. They did not have their noses in their cell phones as they weaved their way through the congested city traffic. Drivers drove. Constantly making assumptions on the traffic patterns in front of them. It was predictable amidst the congestion, with everyone getting to their destination. Im sure our driver laughed as we gasped, covered our eyes or held on to our seats on more than one occasion.

Hercules Temple, Amman Citadel

Military Presence in Jordan?

I honestly was not sure what I was going to encounter with regard to militarization in the country. Before we landed I did not know if our tour would require armed escort around Jordan. I was clueless. By the time we got to the hotel, I had thrown the armed escort idea out the window. I had yet to encounter any armed forces at all. We wandered the city of Amman with ease, there were traffic police armed wth a sidearm, and other police vehicles around. But not the massed artillery clad men I had been expecting. I actually only saw one automatic weapon the whole week we were in Jordan. This was strapped to the chest of one of the Gendarmarie outside the VIP entrance to the stadium during the opening ceremonies of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup. Even the security outside the stadium, while camo clad, were unarmed except for a small baton. The security inside was casually dressed in a golf shirt and slacks.

There was definitely a police presence in Jordan, but not an intimidating force, nor a protection force, just a general presence. We were stopped only twice at checkpoints, despite seeing them often along the King’s Highway and near military bases. Both times we were quickly told to continue, with only the driver providing ID. Our passenger manifest was never read. There was no suspicion, no intimidation by these officers, just polite exchanges and we were sent on our way.

Relaxing by the Pool at the Dead Sea after a relaxing float at Earth’s lowest point

What to Wear in Jordan: Clothing and Dress

Jordan is a muslim country. Over 90% of the population is Muslim. Christians make up approximately 6% of the country’s 9 million people. While conservative in dress compared to North American standards, women are not required to cover their head. Nor is it requested unless entering a mosque. Non-muslim travellers are not encouraged to wear a headscarf, as the Christians living in the country do not. Shirts with sleeves and pants are typical dress. You will not see locals wearing tank tops. On the occasion that I did wear one (I had a button up shirt with me), no one batted an eye. But dressing in typical summer clothing of shorts and tank tops, or even work out leggings when everyone else is dressed in pants and often long sleeves just looks silly and screams tourist. The boys largely wore t-shirts and shorts.

After visiting Jordan, I am often asked if we came across women wearing burqas. I probably saw 5. The whole week. I can see 5 women wearing the burqa at the local bus depot in the Vancouver suburbs in 5 minutes. The tradition of the burqa is not a common practice by Muslims in Jordan, but respected when women chose to wear it and also respected when they chose not to.

So what to pack for Jordan?

We visited in the beginning of fall, the days were still hot, the evenings mild. Cotton is always recommended in these types of countries. I brought a mix. I wore jeans a few days, as well as a pair of loose fitting pants. I packed t shirts, a few button up style shirts and a dress. I only wore the dress the day we visited the Dead Sea, as most of the time we were walking, climbing, camel riding, and getting in and out of the van quite a lot. Women in shorts would be acceptable, I was personally more comfortable in pants. The workout gear I brought went unused, despite the gym’s in the hotel’s we visited. While in Canada, it would be considered casual wear, no one in Jordan wore it out. Scarves are a great idea, but can also easily be bought in Jordan. whether to protect your head or neck from the sun in Wadi Rum, or to keep warm in the evening, I wore one almost every day. I packed a pair of comfortable shoes and a pair of sandals and wore both.

Exploring Petra’s Little Siq by Donkey

Jordanians

When you visit Jordan, you expect to be blown away by the history, the sights, the landscapes, but, the people of Jordan are what made me fall in love with this country. No where have I visited before with such a warm, genuine welcome from strangers. Yes I have been welcomed in many countries, but the Jordanians love for their country is instantly evident. It is as if they have no idea how “dangerous” Westerners view the Middle East due to the media coverage that the region covers. Jordan is and has been a safe-haven for the instability in the region, welcoming its neighbours in need of refuge. From our initial arrival and greeting from the tour representative, to our driver, our wonderful tour guide Awad, to our departure 7 days later, we experienced nothing but kindness and a genuine feeling of welcome from the people of Jordan.

Jordan is a small country. It has a small population. Its economy has been put under major pressure since 2011 with the initial influx of Syrian refugees into its cities to the current 2 million that are housed in the refugee camp in its northern border. Rents have increased, unemployment is high, food prices are increasing much faster than wages. While driving across the country, listening to the desperate situation so many young Jordanians are finding themselves in I feel compelled to help.

I am not a humanitarian, I am not made to do big things, to rally the troops, to lead change. But what I can do, is I can tell you to go, GO TO JORDAN. See for yourself the history, the landscape, the breathtaking sights. Feel the hospitality of the strangers you meet, the love for their country that can only be genuine, become captivated by the welcoming nature of Jordanian culture. Leave everything you think you might know at home, become immersed in what you actually see, feel and experience. And like me, share it. Dispel the mentality that us Westerners might think we know about Jordan.

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Lindsay is the Editor and Head Writer of Carpe Diem OUR Way. She wears many hats including mom, wife, freelancer, GM for a manufacturing company and soccer player. Lindsay is spontaneous, loves travel, photography and very recently discovered she loves to write.

40 thoughts on “Is Jordan Safe? Reflections on our visit with Kids”

This is incredibly insightful. What an interesting time you had in Jordan and good to know that perhaps it was quite different to what you expected! It sounds like a fascinating place to visit, I’m sure it would help change some misconceptions out there if more people visited.

From the pictures Jordan looks like a desert and am not really a big fan of sand dunes. I am more like a mountain and beach person. Maybe I need to experience it atleast once in my life. i hope it will change my perspective.

Jordan was my first Middle Eastern country and it was one of my most memorable trips. Ten days was not nearly long enough to experience all the country has to offer. Camping in Wadi Rum is an unforgettable experience, and one I would recommend to everyone. I never once felt unsafe during my time.

I have wanted to go to Jordan for so so long, but have been put off in recent years because of the conflict in the surrounding countries. It’s great to hear that you felt safe and that none of your preconceptions were realised. I can’t wait to visit myself!

We love Jordan! We visited during the Arab Spring and even then we never once felt unsafe. And we didn’t do a tour. We simply rented a car and drove around the entire country ourselves. While there are checkpoints, the armed police and military weren’t out of the norm for what we’re used to living here in Europe.

I’m glad to hear you agree that Jordan felt completely safe and it’s a wonderful country everyone should visit. I also think it’s a wonderful introduction to the Middle East if you’ve never been to that region before.

Happy to hear of your experience Jennifer. We plan to go back and rent a car this time too! I want to lay on the beach in Aqaba, and be free to drive to the desert for a few days. While tours are great, slow travel is next on my list of to-do’s

This is great! I love that you were so honest and that it ended up being an amazing trip. How many kids can say they’ve been to Jordan? I think that is so great. Congrats on winning the contest and getting out of your comfort zone – I can’t wait to see Jordan in person someday!

Thanks Sarah! It was definitely an amazing opportunity! My kids have NO IDEA how spoiled they are! They talk about vacations like its just another normal weekend activity! My Youngest always wants to know when we can go back to our “hotel”

I live in Dubai and only made it to Jordan in March this year. I was blown away by the hospitality and kindness of the locals- and also by the incredible sight of Petra. I felt very safe at all times and every time I’m asked about safety in Jordan, I have to dispel the common fears that result out of negative media coverage when it comes to the Middle East.

Amazing post! From the comfort of our homes we always see in television countries like Jordan that has consisted conflict in their territory or surrounding it. We immediately scratch it from our bucket list. So its great to hear that this os not the case.

A truly interesting article that, once again, shows that we should all keep an open mind. I never visited Jordan – so this article was insightful. I’d like to discover this country – it looks like if all is well organised, it is safe and beautiful. Oh, and I’d love to see those cats 😉

I was honestly surprised. I didn’t know what to expect, but it was definitely not what we found! Besides a little traffic chaos in Amman, everything was easy to navigate, organized, and none of the places we visited were busy!

I love going to places that other people stay away from, having areas to yourself always feel special, especially historical and cultural sites! Thanks for writing such an informative piece, and changing our outlooks on this destination

Wow, thanks so much for all of this awesome info! We are Americans living in Kuwait and are planning a trip to Jordan for April. I’ve heard wonderful things, but always great to hear from a mom’s perspective! We have a 5, 4, and 2 year old so nothing is easy when it comes to travel, but this makes me realize it is totally doable, and will be an amazing trip!

It’s a shame that so many people have this belief that the Middle East is dangerous when many places we consider safe are considerably more dodgy. I found Jordan to be incredible so muc so that I’ve visited three times. The Dead Sea is amazing, Petra, wadi rum, Aqaba. It’s a very special place

Children are the most vulnerable victims of the Syrian Refugee crisis. And while host countries like Jordan are taking generous measures to improve access to education for these children, many are at risk of being left behind

Taking my family for two weeks in Israel in the spring. Wanted to take 2-3 days of the trip in Jordan to see Petra and Wadi Rum. Do you have any recommendations for a tour operator who will arrange a custom itinerary with transport from Eilat to Jordan that could help the border crossing from Israel? Or would it be better to overnight in Jordan to not worry about the border crossing times? Any recommendations???

Hi Christine,
I personally don’t have experience crossing into Jordan from Israel as I flew into Queen Alia Airport and bought a visa on arrival (for my kids) and bought myself a Jordan Pass. I would highly suggest the Jordan pass as it includes your visitor visa and your entrance fees to the sites (including Wadi Rum and Petra – which is JD50 for just one day). Kids are free into the sites so I did not buy them passes (just the JD40 entry visa). I can give you a couple suggestions on a pickup from the border and tours of what you want to do and then return to the border. But if you want help at the border you likely need to pay for the express option or book a tour that includes Israel and Jordan and the tour operator will have someone on each side. If you send me an email carpediemourway@gmail.com I can email you some more info.

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Hi and welcome to Carpe Diem OUR Way! I'm Lindsay and I am addicted to being a foreigner! Hopefully my posts on travel and my love for adventure as well as family travel tips will help make your next trip a great one!